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Breast Cancer Awareness Month

  • Writer: Corazon Health
    Corazon Health
  • Oct 3
  • 7 min read

Building a health-supportive workplace culture: raising awareness and supporting employees who have been affected by breast cancer.


A group of women wearing pink t-shirts and ribbons to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month

About Breast Cancer Awareness Month



October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a global campaign dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of breast cancer and promoting early detection through screenings and self-examinations. During October numerous organisations, workplaces and individuals participate in educational and fundraising initiatives, and wearing a pink ribbon has become the universal symbol for breast cancer awareness, representing solidarity and support for those affected by breast cancer. It's important to emphasise that although breast cancer primarily affects women, it can also develop in men.


Around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year.


Breast cancer remains one of the biggest UK's health challenges with Breast Cancer UK estimating that a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 9 minutes and a man every day. Breast cancer has also significant effects on the UK economy, including the costs of caring for people with breast cancer and losses in productivity that it brings about. In 2025, the total cost of breast cancer to the UK economy is estimated to be £3.2 to 3.5bn.  



Breast Cancer Awareness and Support in the Workplace


Given the high prevalence of breast cancer, it’s crucial for employers to get involved in awareness raising campaigns and provide support for employees affected by breast cancer. Here are few tips on how you could build a health-supportive workplace culture and improve organisational awareness and understanding of breast cancer: 



Check your policies are up to date

A good starting point is to check whether your relevant policies, such as sickness absence policy are up to date and include information about the provisions for supporting employees with chronic or serious illnesses. It is important to make sure these policies are easy to understand and that they clearly explain the difference between managing short-term absence and managing someone with a long-term condition like cancer. You may also consider creating a standalone workplace policy on cancer and other chronic or serious illnesses, which outlines provisions for sick leave, attending medical appointments, and organisational principles for supporting people affected by cancer. Macmillan Cancer Support has a cancer policy template which you might like to use. You can download the policy template here.



Provide TRAINING FOR MANAGEMENT AND HR

Line managers and HR staff play an important role in supporting people with cancer in the workplace. However, they may not always feel confident to navigate the complexities around employee's cancer diagnosis, treatment, and return to work. As an employer, you can help foster a more supportive, inclusive work environment by organising cancer awareness training for management and HR staff so that they know how to best support the employee during their cancer journey. There are charities that can deliver such training such as Macmillan's Macmillan at Work programme.


These free resources also offer practical guidance for line managers and HR to help them support colleagues impacted by cancer: 


HR and line managers attending a seminar in the workplace


REFER EMPLOYEE TO OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Employees with cancer are protected from discrimination in the workplace by the Equality Act 2010. This means that employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace for employees diagnosed with cancer. What constitutes “reasonable adjustments” will depend on the employees’ needs and the circumstances of the business. With your employee’s consent you could refer them to an Occupational Health which can help make sure the right support and adjustments are in place. Occupational Health Professionals can provide a clinical opinion of employee's situation, recommend supportive measures and adjustments, devise a suitable return to work plan and offer advice about how employee's health may affect their ability to do their job. 


Reasonable adjustments at work could include:

  • Allowing a phased return to work 

  • Offering more flexible hours to avoid travel to and from work at busy times 

  • Allowing employee to work from home, either full-time or in a hybrid capacity 

  • Adapting employee's duties, especially when they are particularly difficult because of the cancer or treatment, for instance when the job involves physical exertion, standing in one position for long periods, and/or heavy lifting 

  • Offering more frequent and/or longer breaks to rest 

  • Allowing time off to attend appointments, rehabilitation and/or treatment sessions 

  • Allocating a parking space for employee near to the building entrance 

  • Changing where employee works, for example by moving their workstation to a ground floor office if they find it difficult to climb stairs and there's no lift in the building 

  • Providing employee with computer equipment that might help with different tasks, for example voice-activated software if they have difficulty typing


Different employees will need different help at different times. The type of reasonable adjustment always depends on individual's situation and it's important to remember that as the employee’s side effects and needs change, so should the workplace adjustments put in place to accommodate them. Referring an employee to our Management Referral Service can help you to get a better understanding of their situation and put appropriate adjustments in place to remove any potential barriers for them in the workplace. 



ORGANISE BREAST CANCER AWARENESS ACTIVITIES

Organise breast cancer awareness activities in the workplace to educate employees about breast cancer, its symptoms, and the importance of early detection through regular self-examinations: 




Provide your employees with an access to support services

Many people diagnosed with breast cancer may experience various mental health issues, such as depression, stress, and anxiety both before, during or even after treatment. Therefore, it’s important that employees have access to different services that can provide support with their mental wellbeing, such as counselling and EAP schemes. If you already have such mental health support services in place, make sure that employees know how to access them.  


At Corazon Health we can organise both face to face and telephone counselling sessions for your employees. A wide range of topics can be addressed during counselling sessions, which are conducted by practitioners registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. We also offer an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that has a complete resource of wellbeing services including 24/7, 365 counselling, legal and information line, as well as medical information line where qualified counsellors, nurses and advisors are on-hand to offer support and guidance on a range of issues. Get in touch with us for further information about the Counselling Service and the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).


A woman having a therapy with psychologist


SIGNPOST EMPLOYEES TO relevant CHARITIES

There are many charities that can offer emotional and practical support for people affected by cancer. Share the details of some of the organisations that provide reliable information and can help your staff cope with breast cancer and its treatment: 


If employees have a particular concern about breast cancer or just want to talk to one of the specialist nurses and trained staff, they can call them for free on 0808 800 6000, send email or ask a question on the forum. Employees can also find a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to them with Someone Like Me scheme.


Employees can call their specialist nurses for free on 0808 808 0000, send an email, use online chat, join online community or look for support groups in a local area. They could also sign up for support from a Macmillan Buddy and get up to six free counselling sessions if they are living with cancer.


Maggie’s provides free cancer support and information in centres across the UK. They have Support Specialists, Psychologists and Benefits Advisors offering advice for people living with cancer and their families. Employees could also share experiences with others in a similar situation in one of their support groups. 


If employee or someone close to them have been affected by cancer and they’ve got questions, they can call specialist nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040. It's also possible to email them using the contact form. 


A charity that helps boost the physical and emotional wellbeing of people living with cancer through free online and face to face workshops, printed materials and tutorials. 


Flat Friends UK is dedicated to supporting women who have had single or double mastectomy surgery without breast reconstruction, including those who may face such decisions now or in the future, due to either a breast cancer diagnosis or preventative surgery. 


The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network UK offers support and advice during treatment and beyond. They have an online support group for people diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer.  


An office worker standing and thinking about their situation at work

Being diagnosed with breast cancer can affect all areas of employee's life, including work. Some employees may decide to carry on working during treatment, as it can help them restore normality and routine, as well as provide financial stability and social contact. Employers can make a huge difference to the working lives of people affected by cancer and help them to remain in or return to work following treatment. By prioritising the health and wellbeing of these employees, organisations can not only retain their valuable skills and experience but also foster a culture of inclusivity and save the cost of recruiting and training new members of the staff. You can find more information and guidance on how you can support your staff in Webinar: How to support employees working through cancer and "We’re with you at work" Employer Toolkit: A guide to managing employees affected by cancer.


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